Abbott Labs, Fibrates And A Review Article

By Ed Silverman Pharmalot

The latest issue of Reviews in Cardiovascular Medicine, which is a peer-reviewed journal, contains a review article about the use of fibrates in treating high levels of triglycerides. The article was paid for by Abbott Laboratories, which sells the TriCor and TriLipix fibrates, and also had a chance to review the article prior to publication. This disclosure appears at the bottom of the article.

However, as paid supplements go, the presentation leaves something to be desired. Other than the aforementioned disclosure, the article is not marked as a paid supplement either in the journal - none of the 13 pages carry such a disclaimer - or in the abstract that pops up on the journal web page. In other words, it may be difficult for a physician to readily notice this is a sponsored article.